Perhaps one of the most encouraging things about this year’s team has been their ability to avoid lengthy slumps.
They’ve certainly had their fair share of ugly losses but for the most part, they’ve been able to bounce back with a solid effort. That’s what they’ll be looking to do against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The game against the Panthers was a bit of a mess from the moment the puck dropped. Both teams were trading chances through the first half of the game and that’s obviously not what Boucher was hoping to see from his team in the first game back from the break. They still had a chance to pick up a point or two but a third period miscue left them empty-handed leaving Sunrise.
Tonight they take on another team trailing them in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay has struggled all year along. Expected to be one of the top teams in the Conference heading into the season, the Lightning just haven’t been able to get anything going in 2016/2017. They come into this one with a 22-23-6 record, just one point clear of last place in the Conference.
And while the Bolts have been disappointing, they still don’t strike me as a team you should take lightly. They have a ton of talent up front (Kucherov, Fillpula, Johnson, Drouin) and an elite defenceman in Victor Hedman. They still seem like they have the talent to make a playoff push.
The Senators practiced yesterday and used the same line combinations. No morning skate this morning but Boucher will make a couple changes. Curtis Lazar is back in for Chris Neil. Mark Borowiecki takes Freddy Claesson’s spot.
Smith-Brassard-Stone
Dzingel-Turris-Ryan
Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt
Kelly-Lazar-Wingels
Methot-Karlsson
Phaneuf-Ceci
Borowiecki-Wideman
Mike Condon is expected to get another start in the Ottawa goal but Boucher has yet to confirm that. Andrew Hammond is currently dressing as the back up but hasn’t really had a ton of practice time since returning from a high ankle sprain. They need to get him into a game at some point though. Saturday in Buffalo is an option.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 PM.
